He’s stroking himself slowly now, base to tip, his thumb smearing the pre-cum trapped beneath the condom, and the sheer visual indecency of it steals my breath.
Finally, he hisses: “Your turn.”
Right. My turn. To get naked. In front of him. In bright bathroom light instead of romantic firelight.
You got this, Sorrel.
He’s seen everything already.
Multiple times.
And he literally licked your armpit.
The memory of that particular moment makes me flush even hotter, but it also gives me courage. I peel off his hoodie...myhoodie now, I suppose, then the thermal shirt, then everything else until I’m standing there completely bare. I should try to put on more of a show for him, I suppose, but I’m still feeling slightly self-conscious, especially compared tothatbody.
His expression shifts from playful to something darker, and way more intense.
His eyes travel over me slowly, taking everything in, and I fight the urge to cover myself.
“Beautiful,” he murmurs.
I roll my eyes to cover the fact that my stomach is doing that butterfly thing times ten. “You’re obligated to say that after we had sex.”
“I’m notobligatedto do anything.” He steps closer, traces one finger along my collarbone. “And I meant it. Every inch of you is fucking beautiful.”
God.
How is this my life?
Did I die in that blizzard and now I’m in heaven?
“Okay,” I tell him. “Let’s get in this tub before I spontaneously combust from embarrassment.”
He suddenly grips my arms near the shoulders. “Don’t be embarrassed. Never be embarrassed about who you are.” His gaze intensifies. “You’re breathtaking.”
Then he releases me.
God, he’s amazing.
He beckons toward the tub.
I step into the water first, sighing as I lay down and the heat envelops me. It’s perfect. We heated it perfectly. After all the labor, we’ve earned this modest luxury.
Gregory follows, and immediately the space issue becomes apparent. The tub that seemed perfectly adequate for one person is suddenly very, very cozy with two. He settles in at the opposite end, but he’s so tall our legs are already tangled together.
“Okay,” I say, trying not to focus on the fact that his knee is pressed against my inner thigh. “This is... intimate.”
“Problem?” His voice has that edge of amusement.
“Nope. No problem. Just noting the spatial constraints for scientific purposes.”
“Of course you are.”
For a few minutes we just... soak. Let the warmth seep into muscles that have been tense for the past couple of days. The steam rises between us, and the only sound is water gently lapping against the sides of the tub.
This is nice. Peaceful. We could just stay like this, enjoying this moment of calm after everything we’ve--
“Come here.” The command in his voice makes everything inside me clench.
